Maintaining hygiene on stations prime duty of railways: National Green Tribunal

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal has said that maintaining clean environment and hygiene on the stations and tracks is the prime duty of the railway authorities and it cannot shift the burden in this regard to any other department.

"The Tribunal can take judicial notice of the fact that waste spreading in the area is the rule and cleanliness is an exception. We reiterate that to maintain clean environment and hygiene on the stations and the railway tracks is the prime duty of the railway authorities. They cannot shift the burden to any other department in that regard.

"They have engaged contractors for cleaning of the stations and there can be no doubt in saying that all these contractors have failed to discharge their contractual and public obligation satisfactorily," a bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, said.

The Tribunal's observation came while perusing a report submitted by officials from the railways' Delhi division, representatives from the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), NDMC and DDA who travelled via train from New Delhi railway station to Badli via Sadar Bazar, Subzi Mandi, Azadpur, and Adarsh Nagar.

The entire train journey and the conditions prevailing on railway tracks and platforms was videographed and submitted to the Tribunal.

Taking note of the report which revealed "pathetic" state of affairs on the tracks, the Tribunal directed the railways to commence erecting a wall along the tracks.

"The railways shall start constructing wall of the kind as its technical experts decide at the periphery the land that is in possession of the railways as of now except encroachments," the bench said while posting the matter for next hearing on March 2.

Anguished at the absence of some railway contractors despite notice, the Tribunal, also comprising Justice P Jyothimani, expert members A R Yousuf and Bikram Singh Sajwan, issued non-bailable warrants against contractors Chiranji Lal and Company, Anil Kumar and Khogul Labour Cooperative Society.

The Tribunal also directed DUSIB to file a complete report stating the amount transferred to them by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the steps taken for rehabilitation of the jhuggies on the railway lands for their relocation.

Earlier, on January 12, it had directed Chief Commercial Manager (CCM) and Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Delhi to personally visit the areas and apprise it of the existing situation.

The Tribunal's was hearing a petition filed by lawyers Saloni Singh and Arush Pathania, which had said that the railway authorities have failed to perform their statutory duties and were indirectly responsible for causing pollution on railway properties, particularly on tracks.